Moonfall
by mysticmelodies1
Summary: James and Olivia's story has a different spin this time
1. Pleasant Company

AU in which James and Olivia never worked for Six. This was posted on my AO3 a while ago, but I took it down. I'm reviving it here, with a few minor changes. For those who read it when it was on AO3, it doesn't change too drastically, but there will be a few fun things added in here and there. For those who haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy the ride.

* * *

The place was buzzing with people, which was good for her. She loved people watching.

Especially in a place like this.

She wasn't naïve by any means. She'd lived enough years and told enough tales of her own to know the sorts of games they played in places like this went far beyond the Black Jack tables. And those were the games she liked. She could cast one glance at a man and tell if he was winning or losing.

She looked around the busy casino. The bar was elevated above the rest of the floor so it gave her a good vantage point.

She could tell who was into what by the way they moved. A subtle glance across the room… meeting the dealer's eyes for just a second longer than necessary. The ones who never really paid attention to or cared how much they won or lost at the tables. They knew the real money was waiting for them in a backroom under the guise of a conference call or perhaps an unpaid bar tab.

Mostly, she loved guessing the stories behind the suits. She'd developed a keen eye over the years and she knew a class A con when she saw one. She could tell by the way he walked, how he stood. Fifty percent tricks and one hundred percent charm, wrapped in a smooth designer suit and a smile to rival the sunshine.

She'd felt his eyes on her ever since she arrived. She idly wondered when he would finally decide to come over and try to sweet talk the elegant older woman sitting alone at the bar.

She ordered another drink and turned her eyes to the stage as another act began to perform.

She didn't have to turn around.

"You certainly took your time about it," she cuts her eyes over to him with a smirk, taking a small sip of her cocktail.

He flashes her a feral smile. "All good things…"

They've known each other only a few minutes, but he can tell right away that they're two of a kind. It's been a while since he's been able to match wits with someone; to talk to someone who understands his memories of this life. The uncertainty, the thrill… the dances with danger, the glamour and the grief. She senses he's as lonely as she is; it didn't take him long to work his way into her heart.

He knew she was smart enough to know the sort of deals he was into, and that it would take far more than good looks and a disarming smile to win her over. She was the sort of woman who didn't much care for getting her hands dirty, but who'd had enough of a past to know that there was no future. Only now.

She lived long enough to know that sometimes not knowing the whole truth was probably for the best, and most of the time, it was best if questions were left unasked. He was the sort of man who left his emotions out of it all; had probably convinced himself that he didn't have them anymore. He was the sort of man who had too many variables in his life and hadn't yet figured out that having a constant could be a good thing if you were smart enough to take advantage of it.

They both knew from the moment they met that they were in for an interesting ride and it would be one they'd take together.

Whether they realized it or not, they needed each other. They'd both been alone for far too long. Two tired old alleycats coming in from the cold.

He didn't ask how she could read him so well, just leant against the bar and stared at her face, as if trying to commit every line to memory. He noticed how, although she was older, there was something youthful about her. Something… ethereal, one might say.

She looked up at him as she handed her money to the bartender.

It didn't go unnoticed that she always paid in cash.

"Bad form, dear. You shouldn't slouch in Armani."

He raised an eyebrow and she smiled.

"I may have lost a lot of things along the way, but my good taste was not one of them. It's rare that anybody dresses with style anymore. It doesn't go unnoticed."

He looked at the floor and back up at her, shaking his head just slightly, amazed at how she seems to see right through him, no matter how much charm he employs. He can't afford to get too close to people, to be too vulnerable, and normally someone reading him that well meant nothing but trouble. But for some reason, he wasn't put off by it. If anything, it only drew him in closer. He trusted her with the secrets he hadn't yet shared, and probably wouldn't need to as she'd know them all anyway.

There was just something about her.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she was no ordinary woman.

Which was good.

He was never the type of man who settled for ordinary.

She got up from her seat, flashed him a smile and gently reached out to adjust the lapel of his suit. Their eyes met for just a second longer than necessary before she said her goodbyes and walked away.

He found her later, standing outside, the scarf over her shoulder billowing in the chilly night air.

He walked behind her and wordlessly slipped his jacket over her shoulders. It was a bit large on her and the excess of fabric nearly swallowed her whole, but he knew her size was deceptive. She was a powerhouse in her own right.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a smile. "Thank you, James. That's very kind of you."

"Has your car not turned up?"

"No, I thought I'd just… have some fresh air. It does get a bit smoky in there. I've never really like the smell of cigars myself."

He chuckled. "How long ago did you call?"

"Thirty minutes ago," admitted softly.

He smiled. "You could have told me, you know. I can have you lifted home."

"You're far too busy in there. You should be back there keeping eyes and ears on your eyes and ears."

He smirked. "They'll manage. Nothing we haven't handled before… or couldn't handle, should the situation arise."

"Confidence is key," she smiled.

"Indeed." His eyes flickered down to her lips for the briefest of moments before he turned his attention to the casino again. "Listen. You stay here, I'll go make sure everything's settled inside and I'll give you a lift myself. Alright?"

She looked at him skeptically.

"I promise, I'll be a gentleman," he smiles.

She chuckles. "If you insist."

"I do," he smiled. "I won't be long."

He hesitated a second before leaning in to press a light kiss to her temple. He felt her breath hitch and pulled away, offering her another smile before running a hand down her arm.

"In case I neglected to mention it before, you are very beautiful, Olivia. Very."

She looked away for just a second, feeling the heat in her cheeks begin to rise.

She looked up and met his eyes again. "Confidence is key…"

He offered her one last smile and kissed the back of her hand, making her breath hitch again, before turning to go back into the building. She watched him leave over her shoulder and walked over to stand by one of the large pillars out in front of the building.

She leaned back against it, smiling to herself.

"They're so precious when they think they're winning…" she chuckled softly.

Within a few moments he was back by her side, taking her hand to help her into the back of a rather sleek looking Aston Martin. She knew it must have been a personal purchase, most likely from a deal gone very good. There was no way he could justify the purchase of such a vehicle on a company credit card. She moaned softly as she glided ever so effortlessly into her seat. This was more comfortable than her car.

'_Exceptional car, exceptional company_,' she mused.

He got in on the opposite side as she gave the driver her address.

"Penny for them?"

"I was just thinking…" she started. "This should prove to be a most pleasant journey."

She smiled him, crossing her legs as she sat back and made herself comfortable, very glad indeed that she'd given her own driver the night off.


	2. Unstoppable

It's just an excuse to call.

He looks down at the brooch in his hand before carefully wrapping it in a silk handkerchief and placing it in a small gold box.

He knows she'll come back to the casino and he could give it to her then, but there's something in him that makes him want to reach out just a little further than he would have in the past.

He can't quite pinpoint what it is that draws him to her.

Maybe it's the way she just understands him. The way he never has to explain how things are. The way she never really has to ask questions, she just knows what he needs and when. The way they can sit back and share a large scotch without saying a word to each other, just watching the people go by. And it's nice. And it's comfortable. And it's the only time he's ever really been himself in front of someone else.

He doesn't have the urge to lie to her like he does with everybody else.

He knows he probably couldn't even if he wanted to.

He likes that.

He likes that he can be himself. It's exhausting having to keep up appearances.

And as much as he doesn't like to admit it, he can feel himself slowing down.

Over time, he's learned how to act, how to speak, how to think. How to break everything down and figure out how it would work to his full advantage. He knows what a lingering gaze can do. A simple brush of the fingertips as he passes a drink to potential mark. He knows that sometimes, the most powerful clues lie in the things left unsaid.

He sometimes wonders what it would be like had he settled for something more bureaucratic. At least when the good guys wanted you dead, they didn't try to bullshit you about it.

But this is a dangerous game. Not one that good guys play.

He's a great shot, one of the best. But he can't run quite as fast as he used to. Sometimes his fingers aren't as nimble as he'd like them to be. Sometimes his reflexes fail him, and that's not something he can afford.

He can remember when he could forge a bond without smearing a single line.

Some days he needs a do-over.

He can remember the first time he exchanged a briefcase, not realizing that the same weapon he'd just handed over would be the reason he'd be awake at two in the morning making shoddy left-handed stiches and guzzling whatever the hell he could get his hands on.

He never turns his back now.

Time has made him wiser.

Time has made him older.

He's no longer the star pupil. Now, he's the teacher. The one they studied when they wanted to get it right. The master whose name is said with respect.

Or else.

Sometimes he almost feels sorry for the suits. The ones who think they're winning the game and don't realize they were never really players.

He often wishes he'd met Olivia sooner. When he was in his prime. She's unlike anyone else. One of a kind. And so is he. They would have been the greatest team there ever was. Unstoppable.

He glances down at the newspaper on the coffee table. They intercepted a shipment. A small one. Inconsequential really. The real steel was on a mail barge heading in the opposite direction. Those were the ones he was keeping an eye on. Those were the real money.

He sighs and runs a hand over his face before taking a sip of bourbon and tossing the paper aside.

He puts the gold box on the table by the door where he's sure to see it when he leaves. He has a few other calls to make, but they can wait until morning. It's been a long day.

He shrugs off his shirt and looks down at his arm.

He's gotten better with his left hand.

He looks in the mirror and sighs, not sure whether to hang his head or laugh at himself. It wasn't exactly a mistake that he wound up in the crossfire. He could have easily had his men handle it, manipulating them from a distance, but boredom got the best of him. Though to his credit, he still had rounds left over when the dust cleared.

He doesn't attempt anything he knows he can't get away with.

He just misses the thrill sometimes.

But this is dangerous game. Not one that good guys play.

It's a complex game.

It's a young man's game.

And he's not sure how long he can go on playing.


	3. Save the Last Dance

They've been dancing around each other for a week now.

She's back at the casino for the third time.

She expects him to notice.

What she doesn't expect is for him to keep her company while she's there.

She likes to dance. Always has really. Though the dances she sees these days are a different sort than she's used to. She used to have any number of men ready and willing to fill to dance card. When she was young. There are still some men who want to catch her eye, but they're few and far between, and almost all of them after something. James, pretty young thing that he is, makes an effective shield against the rest of the suits and the younger men with no real finesse, eyeing her up as though they've never heard of pre-nuptial agreements.

Her standards are higher than the likes of them, and James is the proof. Especially in moments like these.

He spins her around the dance floor effortlessly. They glide to the music as if they've been doing this together for years. Whoever taught him to dance did it well.

She holds onto his arm as they walk back to their table. James lets her arm go and pulls out her chair for her. Another step in the dance.

They spend some time watching the suits, most strutting around with pretty young blonde things on their arms, doing dances she could only describe as thinly veiled dry humping. There's one couple who sits down a couple of tables away. She notices, as she's sure James does, that, unlike the other couples, the roles are reversed. He's younger than she is.

The young man orders drinks for them and gets on chatting with the woman. The lines in the corners of her eyes crinkle when she smiles at him, despite the copious amounts of botox she's injected into her cheeks. Olivia never did understand the purpose of all that. Surgeries, injections, fillers… for what? You get older whether you like it or not. Filling your face with chemicals doesn't change that fact. Besides which, she's rarely seen anyone who looked good after having work done. She thinks most of them looked rather like plastic.

She watches as the woman tosses her strawberry blond hair over shoulder and leans in closer to hear him.

"Could be her son," Olivia points out, knowing exactly what he's thinking.

He raises an eyebrow, not buying that for a minute.

"Her son?"

"Some of us don't spend all of our time chasing after pretty young men."

"Especially when you've already got one."

She looks over at him with a raised eyebrow.

That smile.

"Of course," she smirks, and sips her wine.

There are a few times throughout the night when she's tempted to lean into him. Rest her head on his shoulder as they twirl around the floor. But she stops herself. She's in his world now, and she respects that. If he wants to be affectionate, he can lead.

She sets her glass down just a touch closer to his. She sighs nonchalantly, looking over at the bar and leaves her hand on the table just to see what he'll do.


	4. Things Only Lovers Know

She knows just how close he was to kissing her that night.

She knows he stopped himself, not because of the people in the room, but because he thought she would reject him. She could never do that. They're too close. She loves him too much.

She knows he knows she's hiding something. He finds her sometimes sitting on her own. He doesn't press when she says she can't talk about it. He knows she'll tell him when the time is right. He holds her until she stops crying.

She wants to tell him everything.

She knows those moments break his heart.

But he'll never say.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

He knows she wants to hold his hand sometimes.

He knows she won't, not because of the people in the room, but because she thinks he'll reject her. He could never do that. They're too close. He loves her too much.

Sometimes he finds her with puffy red eyes. She never wants to talk about it. She says she can't. That the time is never right just yet. So he holds her until she feels better.

He knows she'll tell him when she can.

He knows how in those moments, she just wants to be wanted.

But she'll never say.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Over the years, she's become a light sleeper.

She knows about those nights when he stays over. When he crawls in and lays down and pulls the duvet away from her face and looks at her. She never stirs. Never opens her eyes. Never nuzzles into his hand when he caresses her cheek, no matter how badly she wants to.

She knows that he whispers "I love you" just before he goes back to the guest room. (_His_ room, she calls it.)

She never opens her eyes until she hears the door shut.

She's not sure exactly what he's doing.

But she knows he's doing it.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Over the years, he's become a master of observation.

He knows about those days when she stays over. When she thinks he's gone, so she crawls in and nuzzles the pillow and inhales his scent and hugs it tight. He never says anything. Never whispers "I love you too". Never goes in and lets her wrap her arms around him instead, no matter how badly he wants to.

He knows she sometimes calls out his name in the middle of the night.

He can hear her unsteady breathing through the shut door.

He's not sure of the reason. He's not really sure what he hopes is the reason.

But he knows she does it.


	5. Moonfall

He let the boys run the casino most days.

He accepted the fact that he couldn't go on being the big boss forever.

Besides, any time he had, he wanted to spend with Olivia.

There was definitely something different about her. Something that made him want to care and be there for her. Something that was absolutely entrancing.

He was leaning back against the arm of the couch, one leg outstretched across the cushions with Olivia settled into the space between. They'd had a nice meal and were chatting about various topics of life when James suddenly asked her how long it had been since she'd been to the beach.

"Oh… goodness." She tried to think back but couldn't really recall. "It's been a long while. What makes you ask?"

"I have some down time now. I thought having a nice weekend by the sea would be just what we both need. Get away for a while. What do you think?"

She hesitated, looking down at their intertwined fingers resting on her thigh. "I don't know…"

He pouted. "Why not?"

"Well for one thing, my figure isn't what it used to be. I don't really think I should be prancing around on anybody's beach."

"Maybe it isn't what it used to be, but I happen to love the way you look now. I don't think you should be shy. You're beautiful."

She snorted and he put his fingers under her chin, gently turning her face to look at him.

"You are. And if I have to tell you every hour of every day until you believe me, I will." He kissed her gently. "And then I'll tell you every day after that… for as long as you'll have me."

"That's an awfully long time," she smiled.

"I should hope so," he grinned. He ducked his head to kiss her again. "Besides, I've already pictured you in a swimsuit, lying in the comfortable shade of an umbrella while I kiss every inch of you I can reach." He bit his lip. "You wouldn't want to dash my hopes, would you?"

She chuckled. "Incorrigible."

He laughed softly and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"I still don't think the other beach goers would particularly care to see an old lady in a swimming costume, but… I'll think about it."

"Oh, please. You're not that old."

She smiled a sad smile and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Dear boy… I'm older than you could ever hope to be."

"Oi… I'm not that reckless." He chuckled. "I'm careful… some of the time…"

She raised an eyebrow and gave a small snort.

He laughed softly. "Alright, fine. I get a _little_ carried away from time to time. But with no family, I never really had a reason to be cautious. I didn't have you…" he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "But I do now. So I promise… from now on, I will do my very best to come home to you."

"In one piece, please," she said with a smirk. She'd seen some of the older scars from bullets and knives, and a few that looked recent. Too recent for her liking.

He giggled. "Alright. I think I can manage that. And then once the boys are running things and I'm off duty for good, I just have to make it to what- seventy to beat your record? Challenge accepted." He smirked.

She blinked. "Seventy?"

"What… too high?"

"Not nearly high enough…" she answered quietly. He felt her tense and rubbed her shoulder to relax her.

"What then? Or is your way of telling me I'm not supposed to ask a lady her age?" he chuckled.

"James…" she started slowly. "How old do you think I am? Honestly."

"Well seventy was my guess… but erm… seventy-five then?"

"Not quite…" she sat up and stood uneasily. She began to pace the floor, fidgeting with her fingers and muttering something to herself that he couldn't quite make out.

He sat up, frowning as he watched her, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous.

"Seventy-eight."

"Keep going…" she prompted in a shaky whisper.

"You can't be more than eighty."

She stopped in the middle of the floor, turning to face him.

"How much would it bother you if I said I was?"

He gawped for a moment before shaking his head. "I… I don't know. I don't think it would matter. I've told you before, the age difference doesn't bother me. I fell in love with you for the person you are inside. It's just a number. It doesn't matter." He stood and walked over to her, taking her hands in his, trying his best to calm her but it seemed the closer he got to her, the more nervous she got. "Olli, you're worrying me. What's wrong?"

"I was afraid this would happen…" she whispered.

A tear ran down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb.

"Please don't cry… just tell me what's bothering you." He thought for a second. "If it's about whatever makes you cry sometimes, it'll be alright. We'll fix it, whatever it is."

He tried to pull her closer but she resisted, pushing against his chest.

"No… don't. Believe me, you won't want to after I say what I have to say."

His confusion grew. She'd never pushed him away before. Just the opposite. She loved being in his arms.

"What's wrong? Talk to me."

"I…" she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, causing more tears to slip down her cheeks. "I'm not who… _what_ you think I am."

"What are you talking about?"

She couldn't help the quiet sob that left her lips. "Please just try to remember that it was never my intention to hurt you. I meant every word of love I've ever said to you."

"Olivia… please tell me what you're on about. You're really worrying me now."

She looked into his eyes and gently cupped his face. She pulled him down gently and more tears ran down her cheeks as she kissed him for what would most likely be the last time.

She pulled away and shakily inhaled, leaning her forehead against his for a moment.

"Olli…"

She looked into his eyes and slowly backed away from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

He watched in confusion as she backed away, toward the large french windows, the wine colored curtains blowing gently about her as the breeze drifted through.

He noticed the breeze seemed to pick up just slightly and before he could ask what was happening, his jaw dropped at the sight in front of him.

The moonlight seemed to flood into the room, surrounding her in an ethereal glow. Her hair almost gave off light of its own as the gentle beams illuminated it. And her face…

He let out a shaky breath as he saw the changes begin.

Her ears pointed just slightly and her eyes shone an icy blue, even brighter than usual. But they were different somehow… sharper. Piercing. They almost seemed to glow.

He watched in awe as her very clothing began to transform itself.

The gray sweater she'd been wearing thinned out as the woolen fabric transformed into pure silk, clinging to her torso to form a fitted bodice; corseted from the look of it. He looked down and saw her trousers were no longer there either, but in their place was a floor length skirt in the same silvery gray. A black, beaded choker appeared around her neck, very intricately put together with multiple strands of beads and small metal pieces with inlaid jewels.

The glow that surrounded her slowly faded away, the breeze subsided, and the curtains fluttered down once more to hang peacefully by the large double doors.

She looked up to meet his eyes, their piercing blue color not doing anything to assuage his fear.

"Please don't be frightened of me… I'm still me… I'm just-"

"Just what?" he asked, a harsh edge to his voice. He backed away several feet. "What the hell are you?!"

"A… vampire," she admitted softly.

He let out a harsh breath as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. He leaned against the back of the couch for support as his legs suddenly felt very weak. He knew there was something different about her, but… he never guessed…

He just stood staring at her for a moment, shaking his head.

"This isn't real. It can't be. Tell me this is a joke."

She looked at him, shaking her head slowly. "I'm afraid not. I did want to tell you before, it's just that…"

"So what is this? Is this your big reveal before you kill me or something?"

His hands shook with a combination of anger and fear.

"No! I could never harm you! You must know that."

"Why not just get it over with? Why the theatrics? I would have preferred to die in the knowledge that, out of everything, at the very least my relationship wasn't a con."

"It wasn't!" she protested. She took a step closer, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms again, assuring him that everything would be alright. But she knew it wouldn't. Not this time.

"Oh no? Then would you care to tell me what the fuck we've been doing here? You wanna tell me where the woman I fell in love with went? You… I don't even know what you are! You're a fucking- a vampire?! You're something out of a fucking science fiction novel, for Christ sake! And you somehow didn't think that would be an important piece of information?!"

"I wanted to tell you so many times…"

"Then why didn't you?! Why did you lie?"

Her lip trembled as she tried not to cry. "Because I knew you'd react this way."

He scoffed. "As opposed to what, might I ask? I just… find out my girlfriend's a mythical creature and we just go back to watching evening telly like nothing happened and everything's normal?! _You lied to me_! You let me believe I was in love with someone who… god, I don't even know if you're real or not!"

He pushed away from the couch and began pacing the floor, no longer so concerned about her killing him. Rage had completely taken over his brain and she knew it. They stayed silent for a few moments, the only sounds in the room being his shaky breathing and the sound of his shoes pacing the wood flooring. Tears slipped down her cheeks unbidden and she took a deep breath, trying one last ditch effort to explain her actions.

"I never wanted to lie. I wanted to tell you every day. But I've never felt like this with anyone in all my years. I just… I didn't want that to be taken away."

He kept pacing the floor but remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"Maybe it was selfish of me, but I can't change the past. I'm sorry I lied to you. I kept it from you because I didn't want to break your heart… or mine. But this doesn't change my feelings for you. I've always loved you and I always will. Beneath all this, I'm still the person you fell in love with. I'm just not exactly… normal." She sighed. "But it was foolish of me to think this could end other way. I don't really know what else I can say other than I'm sorry and I… I shouldn't have wasted your time."

He turned to face her. "_Wasted my time_? Do you realize how long I've been waiting for someone like you? I was actually trying to find the balls to ask you to _marry_ me! Glad I held off on _that_ one…" he scoffed and resumed his pacing.

She stood in shock at his confession. She didn't doubt he loved her but… _marriage_? She never thought he would make that big of a commitment.

He huffed and paced for another few seconds. "It was all a lie. Everything… you lied to me."

"I had no choice."

"You had a choice! You bloody well did. You could have chosen to tell me the truth! Maybe I wasn't the most moral person in the world. Maybe I should have taken more time away from the guns to spend with you, but I think I deserved a bit more than this! I thought the whole point of this was that out of everyone, at the very least we weren't conning each other. I deserved to know the truth about something like that!"

He turned on his heel and walked over to the mini bar to pour himself a large scotch.

She stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Would you honestly have given us a chance if you did?"

He stopped and fell silent. He gently put the glass back down onto the table and let out a trembling breath.

His back was turned to her now, but he could hear her shoes on the hardwood floor as she took a few steps closer to him.

"Can you honestly stand there and tell me that you would have been able to look past it? This… _monster_ that you think I am. Could you really have looked past it all to find it in your heart to love me… to give us a fighting chance… knowing what I was?"

He said nothing, just hung his head and ran a hand over his face.

"I didn't want to lie, but if I'd told you the truth from the beginning, you wouldn't have bothered to ring back that day. You'd have either thought I was a mad old spinster woman or you'd have been so frightened of me you wouldn't have let me near you. I don't usually allow myself to fall in love with humans for that very reason, but… when I was with you… I felt…" she shrugged, searching for the right words. "…indescribably happy. It's a long, dreary life when you haven't got anyone but yourself. I was tired of going it alone. And then we met and… we got on so well. You made my life feel less empty. I wasn't just aimlessly wandering anymore. I had a purpose. And I know you felt that with me too. I couldn't stand to lose you that early on without ever finding out what might have become of us. So I thought it was best that I kept the other side of me hidden. Not forever. Just until I trusted you enough to show you… until you trusted me enough to know that I'd never harm you."

He shifted in his stance, but still didn't speak. His lip quivered, even as his grip around the tumbler tightened.

"The one thing I never lied about was my feelings for you. Whether or not you choose to believe it, I do love you. And I am sorry it had to end this way. It would be foolish of me to ask forgiveness, so I won't bother. My only hope is that you find someone who makes you as happy as you've made me."

He stayed silent, still not able to bring himself to look at her. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, part of him hoping that this would have all been a dream.

"I'll never forget our time together."

He could hear her footsteps again, retreating toward the windows again.

Her voice broke as she whispered a final "Goodbye."

He felt the breeze through the french windows pick up again, the curtains whipping in the wind.

Then nothing.

Just silence.

He chanced a glance over his shoulder.

She was gone.

He turned around, the tumbler still grasped tightly though his fingers quivered. He slowly moved into the place where she had been and stood on the balcony, looking out into the night sky.

There was no sign of her anywhere.

The moonlight seemed to wrap itself around him, surrounding him in a glow. One last hug.

The tumbler crashed to the floor, the amber liquid pooling around the shattered pieces.

He sank to the ground with a quiet sob of her name as he realized that he was, once more, alone.


	6. Understanding

* _Two weeks later_ *

He turned the engine off and sighed, rubbing his hand over his face before unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. He groaned as he stood and his knees flexed. He had worked a long grueling day. He hadn't needed to. It was his business. He could have left hours ago if he wanted, but he took on an extra shift behind the bar at the last minute. A lot more convenient to sneak in a drink or two from there. Anything to occupy his mind. Otherwise the thoughts of her would overwhelm him and he'd lose it all again. He wanted something to keep him busy, trying to delay the inevitable time when he'd have to call it quits and pack it in. And then he'd be right back to thinking about her.

He hated this part of the day. Coming home to an empty flat.

But it wasn't just the flat.

It was everything in his life.

Everything felt empty without her there.

As he walked up the drive to enter the apartment building, he began to replay her words over and over again I his head.

"_It's a long, dreary life when you haven't got anyone but yourself. I was tired of going it alone._"

Was this what she meant?

He thought he knew what loneliness was before. But when he looked back on it all, he wasn't really alone. He had the guns, the money, the suits… there was always something there to occupy him.

Sure, he may have been a con, but at least everybody knew it. He never had to hide who he was.

He could only imagine what it was like for her.

Having to endure a long, drawn out existence of solitude and loneliness simply because no one was willing to give her a chance. Because no one could look past what she was. Something that just happened to be a part of her… something that she couldn't help being anymore more than she could help her short stature, or her beautiful blue eyes.

The more he thought on it, the more he began to understand.

He knew for a fact he'd never been happier than he was when he was with her. Sometimes his heart felt full to bursting with all the emotion inside of him. Emotions he never thought he could feel. And he knew she felt the same way about him.

He walked through to the elevators and pushed the button for his floor, thankful he was alone in the space. It gave him a few extra moments to sort through his thoughts.

He looked at his reflection in the metallic doors of the elevator car and sighed.

He thought back on the way he exploded at her. He could remember her beautiful eyes brimming with tears, as she tried her best to defend herself against his tirade. And this was _after_ they'd supposedly fallen in love. He could only imagine what his reaction would have been had she made the confession any earlier on.

He hung his head. She was right.

He wouldn't have given her a chance if he knew. To say it was a shock would put it mildly, but she didn't deserve that. He promised her his love. That he'd never desert her no matter what. It was the very reason she felt she could trust him with her heart in the first place. It was the reason she had trusted him enough to show him a part of herself that she'd never shown anyone before. It shouldn't matter that she wasn't exactly normal. Isn't everyone different in one way or another? Doesn't everyone have something about themselves that they hide from the rest of the world? Hell, with what he did for a living, he could hardly afford to lecture anyone on morals and telling the truth. Sure, most people aren't hiding the fact that they're vampires, but still…

She had trusted him to look beyond that and remember that she was still the woman he fell in love with.

And look what he did with it.

He couldn't help feeling like he'd broken his promise to her. It wasn't as though their relationship was conventional to begin with. He was able to look past the age gap, after all. And he was able to do that because he realized that what she was on the outside wasn't as important as who she was in her heart. Just as she'd looked past his trade and saw the man underneath. So why did all that fly out the window so suddenly?

The elevator stopped at his floor and he fumbled around in coat pocket for his keys as he walked down the corridor toward his flat.

He stopped midway and leant against the wall, still trying to delay having to face the emptiness.

He wasn't sure exactly how old she really was, but if this is what her life was like in all the years before she found him… if this constant ache in his chest was any indication of the existence she was forced to endure alone… he could understand why she hid it.

It can't have been easy.

Either keep the secret and hope it all pans out later, or tell the truth and risk losing the love of a lifetime before it ever really began.

A dreadful choice to face.

And if the tables were turned, he'd have probably done the same.

He knew in his heart that she'd never hurt him intentionally. She just wanted a chance. She just wanted him to understand.

And he did.

Finally.

He just wished he could see her again. He wished he could take back the horrible things he said. He was foolish to let her go. She was the only real silver lining to anything. The only one who really made him feel like he was living for something good… something special.

And now... he'd probably lost her forever.

He clenched his keys in his fist, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

The last time he cried, he was just a boy. It was when his parents died. After that loss, everything else seemed inconsequential.

But now…

He wept every night for her.

He had to get her back. He had to find a way to make things right again. He only wished he knew where she'd gone.

He closed his eyes and wished with everything he had left in him. If he could just see her one more time, he'd hold on tight. He wouldn't let her slip away. Not again. He couldn't.

His eyes fluttered open and he finished the journey down the corridor to his flat.

He raised his hand to unlock the door, only to find it unnecessary.

The door was already open. But there was no sign of forced entry.

And only one other person had a key.

He gulped and took a deep breath before slowly pushing the door open.

When he stepped inside, he could hear someone moving around in the back room. He closed the door quietly behind him and stepped further in, setting his keys on the kitchen table.

She came out of the bedroom hurriedly, her face flushed, eyes swollen, lip trembling. She'd obviously been crying. Her ears and eyes looked normal at the moment. Well, perhaps not normal for her, but she looked the way he remembered her… before.

She was clutching a small box to her chest, containing a few personal items she'd left behind for the scattered occasions when she stayed with them. He wondered if she'd already moved the rest of her things or if she was just getting started.

Before he had the chance to say anything, she looked up and saw him.

"Olli?"


	7. Second Chances

"Olli?"

"James…"

She froze on the spot, clearly not expecting to see him there.

"I… I'm sorry. I had planned to be gone before you got back. I was just… gathering everything up. I left the key on the table in the sitting room so… it's there. I think I still have some things in the guest bedroom, but I can come back for those another time…" she looked at his face but couldn't quite pin down his expression. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure coming in person was a good idea.

She looked away, shifting her gaze to the box in her hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm just going."

"No. Wait!" His voice was louder than he intended, but she did stop. He sighed. "Can we talk? Please?"

She responded with a simple nod of her head and put the box down on the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry."

Her head snapped up. "What?"

"I'm sorry." He repeated. "I didn't mean-"

"Why are _you_ apologizing? You've nothing to be sorry for. This was my fault. I should have told you the truth from the start." She looked down at her hands. "I planned on telling you so many times… but things were going so well and I couldn't bring myself to ruin it all. But I wouldn't have kept it from you forever. There's no way I could have, even if I wanted to. I had hoped that once we trusted each other enough, that I would tell you and that… that once you got past the shock and you remembered everything else we had together… the good things… maybe it wouldn't matter so much. I honestly didn't _want_ to lie. I just… I didn't see another way."

"I understand. I mean, no one's ever really glad to find out they've been lied to in such a way but... I understand why you did."

She looked up sharply. "You do?"

He sighed. "It's just not exactly something you run across every day, is it? You can't have expected me to be nonchalant about it. But… I overreacted. Having some time to myself to really think things over… I get it now. I think… under the circumstances, I probably would have done the same."

He walked around the table to stand in front of her.

"I know I behaved horribly and I hate that I hurt you the way I did. But I really don't want you to go."

She looked up at his face. "You don't?"

He took her hands in his, not realizing just how much he'd missed the way they slipped perfectly into his.

"I need you. I'm not saying the whole thing won't take some getting used to… but I'd like us to try again. That is, if you still trust me."

He held her eyes and saw them brimming with unshed tears.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

And this time, she didn't pull away from him.

She melted into his arms and he held her as tightly as he could without crushing her. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and found herself crying into his shirt.

He kissed the top of her head and soothed her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I need you here with me. I need you."

She sniffled. "Are you sure? You don't have to do this… if it's too much…"

He pulled away just slightly, and when she her to raised her head to look at him he bent down and captured her lips in a kiss, trying to convey all the emotions he couldn't express through words alone. His heart fluttered when she responded, cupping his cheek the way she used to.

She pulled away and he gently wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"Will you give me… _us_… another chance?"

She nodded and kissed him again. "Yes," she whispered against his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," he caressed her cheek. "So much. I'm sorry I didn't show it better."

"Ssshhhh… we're here now. Let's be together now."

He gently guided her over to the couch and they stretched out together, much in the same position as they'd been in that tumultuous night, except this time, she turned her body to face him. They closed their eyes and just enjoyed the comfortable silence, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, neither wanting to let go ever again.

* * *

The next couple of days were spent with Olivia telling James more about herself, her past. She told him about the old days, when hunters were all around you and you couldn't really trust anyone with your identity because you didn't know who was who.

"Even the ones who didn't hunt us themselves generally tipped off the ones who did. You had to be very careful of the people you trusted. And you had to be very wary of how you behaved in front of everyone in case they got suspicious."

She told him about how she had to flee from town to town with her parents when she was younger. Her father was a quiet man, a straightforward type of person, and he didn't much like having to go out in sunlight, although he dealt with it better than either her or her mother. He was eventually captured by hunters when one of his so-called friends tipped them off. Apparently he'd seen her father stalking around at night once too often. Her mother didn't tell her right away, but she eventually figured it out on her own. She couldn't remember very much about him as she spent most of her time with her mother while he worked and went about finding them new places to live, but she did know that he wouldn't have let them worry if everything was alright. He would have phoned or sent a message by one of the others. It wasn't like him to stay away for so long without saying anything at all. When she finally brought it up to her mother, she gave in and told her the truth. Her mother wouldn't say exactly what happened, but then, she preferred not knowing. It wasn't an image she would have liked to think about.

She could remember that her mother was always very kind and a very creative type. She remembered that her mother painted a lot and used to teach her how, and that helped a lot in the time after her father died. It soothed her somehow. She also revealed that her mother was half witch, so her power wasn't exactly like any other vampires she knew. She said her mother would sometimes take her outside, behind the house, into the trees where no one could see, and help her practice developing her powers. She said she didn't inherit very much of that as, with her father being a pureblood vampire, most of her powers were, by default, vampiric, but her mother always insisted she know how to harness her power from both sides. She dreaded Olivia being caught and needing magic to get away but not knowing how to bring it out of herself.

"She used to say how much she wished things were different. How she wished I'd been born human so I wouldn't have to endure all of it. She often apologized that she couldn't give me a normal life." She tiled her head as if she was thinking about something. "I used to wonder why she'd never let me have very many friends or get close to anyone. I'd get so angry about that when I was younger. But I realize now… she was only trying to prepare me for what I'd have to face later on. She knew I'd have lengthy years spent alone. All of the friendships and connections I made never lasted. They all got older. They died. I did consider turning a few of them but… I couldn't forget what it was like in the old days. I was afraid they'd find out what I was and turn me in. So I just kept "retiring"… went off to live with children that didn't exist. I couldn't stay around for obvious reasons. Eventually people would have wondered why I was still alive. They would have started to ask questions."

He sipped his coffee. "I think we both know how dangerous that can be." He looked at her. "So… that's why you're so good at all this. The aliases, the illusion… the big game. Sounds like you've been playing at it a lot longer than I have."

She smiled. "Indeed."

* * *

They strolled around the park for a few minutes more... the moon glowing gently in the sky above them. They'd had a full day of shopping and James showed her around town.

He'd taken her to an expensive restaurant, which she insisted was too posh for the likes of her, especially given that it wasn't even a special occasion.

She laughed at the expression on his face when she reached over and took a bite of his garlic bread.

"No… I won't die, if that's what you're thinking," she chuckled.

He shook himself out of it. "Sorry… I just… how?"

"Honestly, you shouldn't believe everything they tell you. It's just not a very pleasant smell, that's all. We're more sensitive to it. I suppose how some people don't like the smell of cigars or… other people don't care for the smell of the ocean. It doesn't really do anything other than make everything stink." She took another bite of her pasta. "I suppose they told you we all sleep in coffins as well?" She rolled her eyes.

He chuckled. "Well I'm definitely learning new things today. Anything else they've lied to us about?"

"Probably plenty," she laughed.

Once they'd paid and left the restaurant, they headed for their usual stroll through the park, where she spent the next couple of hours debunking all the myths and helping him sort through the bits of truth in some of the more exaggerated claims.

He gawked at her as she walked beside him, still not believing some of the things he heard.

"So essentially everything they've ever told us is a lie?"

"Well not _everything_, but a lot of it. Most of it was made up in the old days so people would be more afraid of us and make them more likely to turn us in. Things like us being cold all the time and… not having a pulse… the general idea of us being undead creatures. Clearly not true. I mean… you've held me in your arms enough times. You know that already. " She paused. "The more practical things are true. For instance, the things about speed and strength are true."

"Things that would have come in handy for me," he smirked.

"Yes. Perhaps," she smiled. "Although age does tend to take a toll on that, just as it does with humans. Let's see then…" she thought for a second. "The bit about flight is true, but we don't turn into bats like everybody thinks. I'm not sure exactly who started that one, but it's just ridiculous." She shook her head. "Anyway most of us just prefer getting around like everyone else."

"Why?" he asked. "If I could fly, I'd never bother with anything else."

She chuckled. "Well it takes a lot of energy. It's draining. Like going out in sunlight. It doesn't kill us, it just takes it out of us. A five minute walk can feel like a mile some days. Though it isn't too terrible if it's a bit overcast."

He laughed. "So essentially you're just superhumans with distaste for sun and garlic."

"More or less, yes," she smiled. "I told you, we're not the monsters everyone makes us out to be. We don't go around killing random people just for the sheer hell of it. Granted, we do have to feed on live subjects from time to time… for nutritional purposes… but most of us try not to feed on humans too much if we can get away with it."

"So then what do you do?"

She chuckled. "It's a bit cliché, but… blood banks. A bag or two generally lasts a while. For me, at least. Though it might have something to do with the fact that I'm not a pureblood. I don't hunger the way the others do. There's never the urge. Really the only way I can tell is if I feel myself getting a bit sluggish." She shrugged. "I should probably keep track of it a bit better than I do, but it doesn't normally bother me. Let's see… There are always animals. Generally cows or something easy. We can't really be bothered to run after anything." She chuckled. "Plus animals usually don't react as badly to the bites as humans do. They sleep it off for a few hours and they're fine."

"So what happens to humans?"

"Most of them get sick for a few days. They might feel a bit feverish. Similar symptoms to the flu, so they usually don't think much of it. A few do react badly… generally older people in that regard. Young people are better at bouncing back from that sort of thing… stronger immune systems and all that. But as with anything, it depends on the person."

"Doesn't sound too horrible."

"But it normally doesn't kill them. You'd have to drain a good amount to kill. Most of us know when to stop. We can control it. But there are of course those who aren't so considerate and let their hunger override them, not caring who they kill. Few and far between these days now that the hysteria's gone and humans aren't hunting us down left and right, but they're out there."

He hummed. "There's always a few…"

"Quite." She pulled her coat tighter around her. "Should we get back? Or are you going in at all tomorrow?"

"Hadn't planned on it. We should probably head back, though. It's getting chilly out here. Wouldn't want either of us to get sick."

He put his arm around her and led her back to the car. They drove back to her place that night as she still had a few stories to tell and James wasn't quite through all of his questions.


	8. Changes

About a month passed with James slowly turning over control of the casino and all his business dealings so he could spend more time with Olivia. He thought it was about time someone else dealt with it all. It was a young man's game, after all.

And he really didn't want to go on playing anymore.

He finally got around to fulfilling his promise and taking Olivia to the beach. Well, he had to do a bit of convincing first but she eventually came around.

It wasn't as tumultuous as she thought it would be. James only took her out on overcast days or else they kept their outings nearer to dawn and dusk.

As for the rest of the day…

…they found ways to keep themselves occupied.

They were glad of their time in their own little paradise, but they were also glad to come home again. When they got back into the house, Olivia put her bags in the bedroom and then went to get started on dinner. James wanted to cook for her, but she insisted, saying that he'd already waited on her hand and foot the entire time they were gone and it was time she did something nice for him. He relented, knowing he wasn't going to win, and instead opted to unpack for the both of them.

As he put the last of their clothing away, he ran his hand down the carved wooden armoire and took a look around the bedroom they now shared.

It was all a strange new kind of wonderful for James. Firstly, that he had somewhere he could call home. Sure he had his flat, and he'd had several houses over the years, which he eventually got rid of as he felt they were far more space than necessary for one person. But this was the first time anything ever really felt like home. And it was because he had Olivia there with him. He never thought he'd be the type to become domesticated, but he liked it.

He supposed because their relationship wasn't a "normal" one. Not only because of the age difference, which he didn't really think of as a big deal, but because of Olivia. He was pretty sure dating a vampire fell into the category of unconventional relationships.

He shook his head. He still had to remind himself of that bit sometimes. It all seemed a bit surreal. He didn't know if he'd ever really get used to it. But he loved that it was a side of her only he got to see. And it always gave him a thrill to know something that nobody else knew.

"James! Ready!" her voice wafted in from the kitchen, along with the smell of his favorite dish.

Solved the mystery of why she wanted to go shopping so badly.

He smiled and bounded through to the kitchen.

"Do I get to kiss the cook?" he smirked.

She chuckled. "Of course."

He bent down to kiss her quickly.

She raised an eyebrow. "All that gets you is potatoes. If you want the steak, you'll have to do a bit better than that."

He grinned and pulled her body flush to his, moaning against her lips as he kissed her deeply.

He pulled away, his breathing slightly ragged. "Well?"

"I think you just earned dessert," she smiled.

"Can't wait." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she laughed, smacking his arm with a tea towel.

"Sit down, you." She chuckled and started serving the meal.

* * *

When they finished dinner, Olivia cleared the table and took the dishes over to the sink, where, a few short seconds later, she felt James's arms encircle her waist.

She giggled as he kissed the back of her neck. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Showing you how much I loved dinner." He kissed her neck again and grinned when he felt her shiver.

"Really?" her eyes fluttered closed and she tilted her head to one side to give him better access.

He hummed and kissed her neck again before gently turning her face to capture her lips.

He took the tea towel out of her hands and threw it on the countertop, tugging her back towards the bedroom.

"I thought you wanted dessert…" she smiled.

He pulled her closer and nibbled her earlobe, whispering in a husky voice,

"_What do you think I'm about to eat?_"

She gasped and he smirked, kissing her neck again as a shudder ran through her body.

He led her the rest of the way through to the bedroom and wasted no time dispatching them both of their clothing. He intended to take his time, but they'd either been on the road or in shops all day. He'd hardly had any time alone with her.

She chuckled. "What's gotten into you?"

"I just miss you, that's all."

She rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation, but deep down she was delighted that she could still get such a response from a man. Particularly one a fraction of her age and as handsome as James.

"It's only been two days," she giggled.

"Two _long_ days." He kissed across her collarbone as he unclasped her bra and pulled it from her shoulders. "I need you."

She smiled and pulled him up to kiss her lips. "Then we shouldn't keep you waiting anymore, should we?" She slid a hand down to cup him through his trousers and felt how hard he was already. She giggled as she groaned and closed his eyes, fighting to suppress the shiver through this body.

"That's it!" he growled.

She shrieked and giggled as he picked her up and tossed her onto the middle of the bed, practically ripping off her knickers. He pushed her thighs apart and moaned at the sight of her. However, he didn't take very much time to savor the vision before him. His impatience got the best of him and he tugged her closer, burying his face between her thighs.

"AH!" she arched and grabbed his hair as he licked hungrily, moaning against her core and sending vibrations through her body.

He squeezed her thighs, as if trying to pull her even closer, and she squirmed in his grasp, whimpering and breathing heavily. He dipped his tongue inside her to taste her properly and she groaned, grabbing the duvet in her fists, trying her best not to roll her hips against him. But it felt too good and after a while, she couldn't help herself. He replaced his tongue with two of his fingers, thrusting as deep as he could, taking care to hit her g-spot with every thrust. She was shuddering even more frequently now and he knew it wouldn't be long.

He curled his fingers and sucked her clit hard.

Her cry of completion tore from her throat as she came hard onto his waiting tongue.

"James… please…" she whimpered, trying to squirm away.

He wasn't stopping. He held her tight and kept licking, moaning at the taste of her.

"Please… I can't ta- AH!" she cried out as a second orgasm washed over her.

He finally relented, trailing soft, open-mouthed kisses back up her trembling body.

She pulled him up to kiss her lips and ran her fingers down his back, hooking her fingers under the elastic of his underwear in a silent plea for him to take them off.

He got the message and pulled them off as quickly as he could, desperate to be inside her. He slid up and down her folds, coating himself in her juices before slowly sinking in. They both groaned and captured each other's lips in a fiery kiss. Her muscles fluttered around him, trying to adjust, and he had to use every ounce of strength not to start thrusting right away.

Her eyes closed and she moaned softly as he placed feather light kisses all along her face and neck.

She opened her eyes again when he stopped. She looked up at him and he caressed her face, bending down to kiss her softly.

"Tonight," he whispered.

She looked up, confused. "What?"

"Tonight… let's do it tonight."

"What… now?"

"You said it would help if I was distracted... so I wouldn't be so tense." He kissed her neck. "I can't think of a better opportunity."

"Are you sure?"

He captured her lips again before whispering, "Yes."

She gulped and nodded.

He could see her hesitation so he kissed her again, long tender kisses, hoping it would help ease some of her fear. He trailed kisses across her cheek and down to her jawline. He could hear her moaning again, so he figured he was doing something right.

"Will it hurt?" he asked, kissing her neck gently.

He knew it sounded like an odd question coming from someone who'd taken as many bullets and knife wounds as he had over the years. He could deal with those. He knew what to expect. But fangs to the neck was new territory. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous. But he did trust her. He knew she wouldn't harm him intentionally.

She mentioned that there would be a reaction involved, but he figured he'd survived three poisoning attempts in the past year alone, so he should be able to get through it alright. She also mentioned that vampires could either bite to convert or kill, and they had a sort of instinctual way of telling their bodies which was which. But a conversion bite, if done incorrectly, it could be fatal, which was the reason she flat out refused when he first mentioned it. She was afraid her hunger would take over her mind and she'd end up killing him by mistake.

* * *

_"__I don't want to be without you," he whispered. "And you said yourself you hated the fact that you could never get close to anyone because of the life span. If we do this, we could be together. It wouldn't be a problem, right?"_

_"__Yes and no. I've got about a century long head start on you. You'll end up outliving me. Not by very much, mind. Your life span won't be nearly as long as if you were a pureblood. But you will. But yes. In theory, we should be able to spend a great deal of our lives together."_

_"__So then what's the problem? If it means we can be together for the rest of our lives by doing this, then let's do it. I know we can't stay put. They can have the business, I don't care about that. We can pack up and leave whenever you're ready. I've got the money. Wherever you want, we'll go there. I just want us to be there together. I just want you."_

_She smiled gently and caressed his cheek. "I want you too. It's just…" she sighed. "It isn't that simple. I could hurt you. And I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you because of me."_

_"__You won't."_

_"__You can't know that."_

_"__Yes, actually, I do," he said. "You wouldn't let yourself go that far." He kissed her gently and looked into her eyes. "I trust you."_

_She leaned her head on his shoulder. He sighed, thinking she'd made up her mind. He tried not to think on the future. About the day he'd have to face life without her. He'd lived that for the two weeks they'd split up and it nearly killed him. _

_They sat in silence for a few moments before he heard her whisper, "Next week. After we get back from the beach. You'll need time to readjust to sunlight and I don't want to ruin our holiday."_

_He blinked down at her. _

_He couldn't believe she actually said yes._

_He grinned and kissed the top of her head, squeezing her tighter. They could do this. They could be together. Unstoppable._

* * *

_"Will it hurt?"_

She bit her lip and watched her fingertips trail over his collarbone. "Honestly? I don't know. I've never does this before…" she caressed his cheek and looked into his eyes. "Are you absolutely sure about this? If it goes wrong, I-"

He silenced her with a kiss. She moaned and clung to him tightly.

"I trust you," he whispered against her lips. He brought a hand up to caress her cheek. "I love you. I was stupid to push you away. I should have had more faith in you… in _us_." He kissed her deeply. "But it won't happen again. I'm not letting you go this time. I want to be with you… so let's do it."

She kissed him with all the emotion she could muster and he responded eagerly.

He rocked his hips gently, waiting for her permission to move further. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he knew she was ready for him and he began to thrust into her slowly and deeply. She held him as close as she could, her hands rubbing up and down his back as she kissed him.

"You feel so good…" he moaned. "My Olli."

A tear ran down her cheek and she turned her head to place a kiss his neck. She laved her tongue over his pulse point and she could feel the familiar tingle begin to rise within her. She nuzzled into his neck, moaning as she realized his pulse was beating faster and was therefore making his blood smell sweeter.

Despite her attentions to his neck, his tempo never faltered, something that didn't go unnoticed by her. His fingers unerringly found her clit and began rubbing in small circles, making her whimper. She let her eyes flutter closed as her release came steamrolling toward her at an incredible rate.

She smiled.

He wasn't afraid.

He really did trust her.

He really did want to be with her.

He really did…

"…love you… I love you, Olivia." His husky, passionate whisper in her ear was all she needed to send her over the edge.

Her body tensed as the last of her control snapped. Her back arched and she came with a keening cry that filled the air. He smiled, rocking his hips gently against her as his fingers kept circling against her clit to prolong her orgasm.

She pulled him into a kiss and looked up at him.

"It's alright…" she smiled. "Take what you need." She kissed his neck again. "Take me."

He ducked down and kissed her lips before burying his face in her neck and thrusting in earnest. He was whimpering in her ear, her name a mantra on his lips. She could feel her urge growing stronger as his pulse beat wildly in his neck.

She moaned quietly as her fangs extended themselves.

She felt his hips stutter and knew he was nearly there, so she locked her legs around him and whispered the simple command.

"_Come._"

He screamed and thrust one last time as he came hard inside her.

Suddenly, everything got five times as intense and he felt like he would explode from the sensation. His body tingled as something warm and unfamiliar began to flow through his veins like quicksilver. It felt like fire and ice at the same time. It felt like life.

It felt like the kind of adrenalin rush that came with absolute freedom.

His breathing came in shorter gasps. His body tensed. There was a pounding in his ears and an unfamiliar tightening in his chest. The room disappeared as blinding white light took over his vision, and before he really had a chance to fathom what was happening, the light disappeared in a flash and his body went limp atop her.

She felt an unfamiliar sensation go through her as she sank her fangs into his neck. His blood was warm and sweet. It tingled on her tongue, which had never happened before and probably would have amused her if she weren't so busy concentrating. She couldn't really say she knew what she doing, but somehow her instincts kicked in and she seemed to go on autopilot. She injected a small amount of her own blood into his bloodstream.

She felt his limbs tremble. She could hear his breathing becoming erratic. She began to get nervous, wondering if she'd done something wrong.

The moment his body went limp, she retracted her fangs, horrified at the thought that she'd gone too far. She instinctively licked the wound, the healing properties of her saliva, making it seal itself and vanish almost instantly.

She carefully rolled him off her, onto his back. She patted his face gently, trying to wake him, but he was out cold. Her heart was racing and she began to panic, hoping above all hopes that he would be alright. She kissed his forehead and pulled the duvet up to cover him.

She got out of bed and threw on her nightdress, going into the kitchen to start work on a healing potion of sorts to help his recovery along.

She worked as fast as she could, gathering different herbs and preparing them in the ways her mother had taught her long ago. She kept her hands busy, concentrating on getting it just right. She knew the moment she allowed herself to become still, the doubts would creep in and she'd start fearing the worst. She couldn't let that happen. She had to believe he would be okay.

Once she'd finished mixing everything, she poured some into a mug. Then she made him a cup of tea, made exactly the way he liked it; a spoonful of sugar and just a splash of milk. She began carefully mixing it with in the potion, stirring it slowly to help the flavors blend. She'd put a couple of herbs in that she knew weren't too pleasant on their own, and she hoped mixing it with the tea would take the edge off a bit.

She carried it back through to the bedroom and set it on the nightstand.

He groaned softly.

Her eyes snapped up to his face. She climbed back onto the bed and peered at his face, stroking his cheek softly to see if he'd respond.

His eyelids fluttered briefly, but that was all.

She let out the breath she was holding.

It wasn't exactly the response she was hoping for, but it was better than nothing.

She knew he was alive. She hadn't killed him.

She tucked him in and got back into bed beside him, pulling him over to her and holding him close, stroking his hair. She could feel how warm he was and got up just for a moment to get a cold cloth. The minute she got back, she took up her position again and put his head in her lap, pressing the cloth against his head to try and cool him down.


	9. A Spoonfull of Sugar

He began to wonder if he was dead.

No.

If he were dead, he'd feel a hell of a lot better than this.

It felt like he'd just been hit with a two ton truck.

His head hurt and his body felt heavy and unbelievably warm. He could feel himself trembling just slightly and idly wondered if it was from the bite or if the orgasm hadn't quite left him yet. For some reason or another, the bite just made it that much more intense.

He moaned slightly, remembering how it felt.

He felt like shit _now_, but he took it as a good sign. It meant he was still alive.

He would have smiled if he could.

He heard her come into the room, felt her hand on his cheek. He'd heard her whispering soothing words to try and wake him.

He did try to open his eyes, but his body wouldn't cooperate. He attempted to lift his hand so he could hold hers and it just wouldn't budge.

After a while, he just gave up, knowing that he would only end up exhausting himself. He felt the cool cloth on his head and knew that she was still there with him. He felt her rocking him gently and humming something softly. He could tell by the quiver in her voice that she was trying not to cry.

He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and tell her that he was alright and that there was nothing to worry about. But he couldn't. Not at the moment, at least.

He decided to stop trying to fight it and he let himself relax so he could try to sleep. The sooner he got over this thing, the sooner he could hold her in his arms again.

He was awake the next morning, to her relief. He said he felt horrible, but drinking her little magical cocktail helped a lot. She kept apologizing for hurting him and he waved it off, saying he'd had poisonings that were worse.

"So do you feel any differently yet?"

"Nothing that I can tell. Although…" he looks at the cup in his hands. "I did smell the second batch of this stuff before you came down the hall with it."

She smiled. "Well that's something then." She bit her lip.

She got up from the bed and walked over to the far wall.

"AH!"

He flailed, throwing the mug on the nightstand, screwing his eyes shut and ducking under the duvet.

"Jesus! Warning!"

She smirked, shutting the curtains again before walking back over to the bed.

He groaned at the pounding in his head. The sunlight was blinding. He was sure it had something to do with his transformation, but then it didn't help that it was only ten in the morning and he wasn't fully awake yet.

She bent down and kissed his cheek.

"Progress," she smiled.

She took the mug from the nightstand and went into the kitchen to mix another brew.


	10. Ready

After a few days, when James was feeling better, they went back to the casino.

Olivia suggested they go closer to nightfall as he wasn't fully adjusted to the sunlight and it still drained him quite a bit. She knew if he went in looking sick or run down, it wouldn't be a good reflection on him.

When they entered the crowded building, James's senses went on alert.

His eyes locked on someone across the room. He gasped. His gaze then flitted to another woman, sitting near the stage, enjoying the show. He felt an odd connection to them, although he was positive he'd never met them before. They each had a unique smell. Almost like a fingerprint. He could recognize about four or five different scents in the room.

He furrowed his brow. "What…?"

"You can sense the others, can't you?"

He looked down at her and she smiled back. She took his arm and led him over to the bar, their normal watch tower.

He followed her across the floor, able to pinpoint where the different scents were coming from as he moved his way through the crowd.

A young blonde woman at a nearby table perked up when he came near her. He could see her discretely sniffing the air. Her head turned toward him and she immediately locked eyes with him, despite the large crowd swarming around him. She declined her head, giving him a small smile and a wink, before turning back to her date; a brunette, around the same age, perhaps a bit younger. He wasn't picking up a scent from her, though.

He idly wondered if the brown haired girl knew exactly who she was having dinner with.

They sat at the bar and ordered their usual drinks. Scotch for her, martini for him.

"You mean they've been walking around here all this time and I never knew it?"

She chuckled. "Well what did you expect? We all walk about with neon signs round our necks? We don't make a point of broadcasting it to the world."

"I know, I just didn't think…" he looked around the room again. "Well for one, I didn't think they existed. And I certainly wouldn't have thought they'd be walking around amongst everyone else."

She giggled and sipped her drink. "You thought we all lived in one little village somewhere?" He shrugged and she rubbed his arm. "Some prefer that. I know of places where that's true. But a lot of us live among everyone else. It would get boring with just our kind. Humans are exciting... entertaining in some ways."

He smirked. "How?"

"Well… you get the see the world through fresh eyes. After about a century's worth of living, nothing seems new or magical anymore. You've lived through it all. Multiple times, in some cases. But when you see human children playing with their pets… or a couple that's newly engaged… their excitement about the little things. They know they can't go on living forever so they try to cram as much excitement as they can into the few years they're granted." She shrugged. "It makes things interesting. Gives variety. Otherwise, you feel like you're just dragging on."

He nodded. "I can understand that." His eyes cut to one of his men, making his way over the bar. "Here comes the variety of life now."

The man nodded his head to James. "Sir." He gave a little bow to Olivia as well. "Ma'am."

Olivia smiled and sipped her drink.

"Good to see you, Ross." James smiled.

"You as well. Enjoying your down time?"

"I am. What's the news around here?"

He shrugged. "Nothing unusual. We've got everything settled. All shipments made on time. Any issues dealt with."

"Good man."

"Just thought I'd check in while you were here. See how everything was going."

"Perfect." He cast a glance at Olivia before turning his gaze back to Ross. "All the boys alright here?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. They're still not used to you being M.I.A."

"Not giving you trouble are they? They should know I left you in charge for a reason."

"No. Nothing like that. Though I have been mistakenly called James on more than occasion."

James chuckled and sipped his martini. "Miss me, do they?"

"I would say so, sir. But you can't blame them. You were the best we've ever seen around here. I don't think Gary ran things as well as you did, and he left the feds to join us."

James smiled. "You'll be alright. Give it time. You've got a good brain in there. You know the game. They'll respect that."

"I hope so, sir."

"And you can drop the 'sir' business. It's your place now."

He smiled. "Alright… James." He said it slowly as if testing the way it sounded.

James's eyes darted to a corridor, just barely visible from their station at the bar, but he'd been running the place long enough that any activity in that space immediately caught his eye. He nodded his head in that direction. "Looks like you got business."

Ross glanced back to the hallway where two suits disappeared into a discretely placed door.

"So I do. Better go." He nodded his head toward Olivia again. "Good luck. To both of you. And remember, everyone here is still loyal to you. If you get hung up out there, you know where to find us."

James nodded. "Thanks, Ross."

The man stepped down from the bar and disappeared silently into the corridor.

"You've certainly made a lasting impression." Olivia smiled.

"I trained most of them. Taught them the rules. But Ross caught on quicker than he others. A lot like I did. I know he can handle things."

"So you don't have anything to worry about then."

"No. Not anymore." He sipped his drink.

"And you're sure about this? Giving it all up, I mean."

He put his drink on the bar and took her hand in his. "I'm sure that I want to spend as much of my life with you as possible. I don't care about all this. My time here was done anyway. I want my time with you now. I just want you."

She smiled. "Alright then. You've got me."

"Good." He smiled. "Why don't we get out of here, hmm?"

"Afraid they'll ask you to come back?"

"No. But I can think of a few things at home I'd rather be doing."

She smacked his arm. "Behave."

"Make me." He smirked.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "And this is what I'll have to put up with for another century and a half."

He laughed. "Come on."

He took her hand and helped her down from the bar. They made their way back through the crowd. James could only smell two other scents now, apart from Olivia's, which he assumed meant the others had left for the evening. They walked out into the night air and one of the men at the door, seeing James, bowed his head and asked if they wanted him to request a car.

"Yes. Thank you." He paused. "Actually… that won't be necessary." He smiled at the man and hooked Olivia's arm through his.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The doorman turned his head for a minute two to clear the short line of people that had gathered outside. He turned back to call out to James.

"Are you sure you don't want-" he stopped midsentence.

There were no cars ready. And he didn't see one pull up to the curb as he was checking in the other guests.

He looked around.

They were gone.

He frowned and shook his head before turning his attention back to guarding the door.


	11. Flying and Falling

Olivia was very patient with James, teaching him just how his new abilities worked and giving him advice on the best times to use them. He insisted she teach him how to fly first, as she assumed he would. He was enthusiastic about that bit from the moment she'd mentioned it.

Not surprisingly, he caught on to everything quickly, but Olivia had to keep urging him to be patient with his lessons. He ran himself ragged, practicing the techniques she'd shown him over and over, trying to get everything just right. He often got exhausted and had to rest immediately after a lesson as he wasn't fully used to his abilities and they still drained his energy quite a bit. She assured him he'd be able to handle more and more as time went on, and before long he'd be able to fly across the country before he felt the twinge of exhaustion. She didn't see why he was getting so upset. It took most people months, sometimes even a year or more to master what he'd gotten the hang of in a mere eighteen days.

But then she remembered who she was working with and how James had been the best at his game for so long, mastering the ins and outs in no time at all. He wasn't used to the idea of not immediately being good at something.

She thought it was adorable the way he pouted, but she'd never tell him that.

Well… maybe she'd save it for a rainy day.

She came back home from shopping one day to find the house oddly quiet.

Her senses immediately went on alert.

Something was wrong. She could feel it.

"James?" she called out.

No answer. She put the groceries down on the kitchen table and hurriedly walked into the bedroom to see if she could find him.

Nothing.

She walked back out to the sitting room and gasped.

"James!"

He was collapsed on the floor just to the side of the couch.

She ran over to him as quickly as he could. He was face down on the floor, so she gently rolled him over onto his back. She stroked his cheek and called his name to see if he would respond, and she did manage to get a small groan out of him but that was about it.

Her mind started racing. He was feeling fine when she left. They had eaten together and…

Her eyes got wide.

He hadn't fed yet.

He needed blood. He'd gone too long without any.

She lifted his top lip to see his fangs had extended themselves. It happened when their bodies were trying to encourage them to feed. She thought about the way she'd found him and which direction he was facing and quickly realized he was trying to make it to the kitchen. She had blood packs in the refrigerator. He must have figured out what was wrong and tried to get to them, but he never made it that far. If he'd fed at least once before, he wouldn't have been weakened so quickly, but of course this was all new to him, so he didn't have the resolve to last until she got home.

She looked at the refrigerator and back down at James.

Blood bags wouldn't help him now. He was too far gone. There weren't enough nutrients in a bag to revive him.

There was only one thing to do.

She extended her fangs and bit into her wrist.

She winced a bit at the slight pain, but it didn't matter to her at the moment. All she cared about was the man lying in her arms.

She shifted him in her lap so he was propped up a bit and held her wrist to his lips.

His eyelids fluttered, but he didn't latch on.

She bit her lip, hoping she wasn't too late.

She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair, whispering to him how much she loved him.

"Please… drink… you'll feel better. I promise. I won't let you leave me this way, damnit." Her voice broke as she tried her best not to cry.

A few seconds later, she felt his mouth move.

"That's it, love," she pressed another kiss to his forehead.

His mouth opened a bit wider and within a few seconds, he'd latched onto her wrist and was drinking steadily. She smiled and stroked his hair, so happy she hadn't lost him.

She sat there with him for a few minutes more, allowing him to take as much as he needed.

He groaned again as his eyes fluttered open. His vision was a bit blurry, but he could just make out Olivia's face.

His eyes went wide as he realized what he was doing.

He gasped and retracted his fangs immediately, pushing her wrist away from his mouth. He tried to berate her, but he sat up a bit too fast and the room started to spin. She caught his shoulders to steady him and held him close while he clutched at his forehead.

"What were you doing?!" he asked, his anger clear.

She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't ever do that again! I could have hurt you! What if I took too much? What if-"

She stopped his lips with a kiss.

"You wouldn't have done…" she stroked his cheek and he took a few calming breaths. "You wouldn't hurt me. You'd never let yourself do that." She kissed him again. "I trust you."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"I know. We should have had you feed a couple of days ago, but we were so busy with your lessons, I wasn't properly keeping track of time. I only let you feed from me because you were too far gone for the blood bags to do you any good. You needed nutrients from something living." She held his hands as she tried to get him to understand. "I wouldn't have done it unless you needed it."

He nodded his understanding. He knew she'd go to any length for him, just as he would for her. Even if it meant putting themselves in person danger to save the other.

He pulled her closer and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing her wrist. He instinctively laved his tongue over the puncture wounds and watched in awe as they healed themselves over.

She smiled. "Good as new." She leaned in to kiss his lips again and he held her close.

They stayed curled up together on the floor until Olivia's joints began to protest. Despite her warning him not to waste his energy, James lifted her and carried her into the bedroom, placing her down gently on the soft mattress. He curled up beside her, feeling a bit worn out and she stroked his hair until he went to sleep.


	12. A Brand New Day

_Later that year…_

* * *

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "Let's see, then."

He opened the bedroom door and she gasped.

"Oh… James… it's beautiful!"

She walked in and ran her hand along the carved wood of their new four post bed. They had moved into the new house a week ago and Olivia had her hand in decorating, but James insisted she leave the bedroom to him. She kept asking why, but he wouldn't tell. Now she could see what his little surprise was.

"It's just as beautiful as when we saw it in the shop," she smiled. He came up and hugged her from behind. "Thank you."

He kissed her cheek and smiled. "You're very welcome."

She looked around the room and saw he'd put up several photos of them together, including a few he'd taken of her at the beach.

"When did you take that one?" she asked.

"Right before those kids started the bonfire." He smiled. "You looked so relaxed and peaceful and just…" he shrugged. "I thought it deserved a photo."

She smiled and leaned back into his embrace. "You old romantic."

"Only for you. And if you tell anyone, I know where your ticklish spots are…" he warned.

She laughed. "Fair enough. I still can't believe you got it. How on earth did you manage to sneak it in?"

"I have my ways." He smiled and kissed her neck. "Besides, it was no trouble. I'd do anything for you."

"And I'd do anything for you."

"Anything?"

She smiled and turned her head to kiss him. "Anything."

She felt one arm leave her waist as he reached into his pocket. She looked down to see what he was doing and when he brought his arms around her again, she nearly cried.

"Does that include marrying me?"

She turned around to face him. "I…"

"I know with the vampire thing, we've got plenty of years together… and there's probably not much sense in it since we've got all this time ahead of us now, but… I would still like us to be together. Properly." He reached out to caress her cheek. "So… will you marry me?"

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a deep kiss.

He smiled. "Please tell me that was a yes."

She giggled. "Yes. Of course yes."

He slipped the ring onto her finger before lacing her fingers with his. She smiled, staring at the ring and their intertwined fingers before leaning up to kiss him again.

He smiled against her lips, wiping a stray tear from her cheek as she pulled away.

She smirked.

Her hands started slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" he smirked.

"Well… we have a new bed to break in… and we do have an engagement to celebrate now…" she looked up at him with a smirk and a twinkle in her eye. "I thought it would be rather nice to celebrate."

"Oh did you?" he smirked, pecking her lips. "Did you really?"

She shrieked as he picked her up and spun her around. He fell back on the bed, still holding her, so that she was on top of him, straddling his waist. She giggled and leaned down to kiss him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Good. Because I love you, too." He smiled and pulled her tight against him, rolling his hips so she could feel just how happy he was to celebrate.

She laughed and kissed him again, rolling them over so he was on top of her.

His heart felt full to bursting with all the emotion inside of him. Emotions he never thought he could feel.

Until her.

His lips kissed every inch of skin he could get his hands on. She'd made him happier than he'd ever thought possible and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. Especially now that he had so many years with her to look forward to.

She was happier than she'd ever been in all her years. She wanted to cry, but that would ruin the mood entirely, so she held her tears back and concentrated on the feel of his lips against her skin. She finally found what she'd been looking for all those years. Someone to love her. Someone who could accept her for who she was. _All_ of who she was.

She couldn't stop smiling.

They tumbled on the bed a few more times, giggling between kisses, both feeling a sense of happiness and completeness that they never dreamed they could feel.

Their limbs intertwined and their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss.

Fire and ice.

Adrenalin.

The kind of rush that comes with absolute freedom.

When he pushed into her, he heard her moan his name and he smiled, claiming her lips in another deep kiss.

It felt like pure joy.

It felt like new life.

It felt like a lot like love.


End file.
